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I recently dug through my craft supplies and discovered a stack of t-shirt blanks that had been patiently waiting for me to remember to do something with them. I also had plenty of heat transfer vinyl (HTV) on hand, and a few design ideas bouncing around in my head, so I finally decided to make some custom HTV shirts for the kids. This turned into a fun weekend project!

Short n’ Sweet

Perfect for an adorable little two-year-old. Although, if we’re being honest, she’s more of a Sour Patch Kid.

“First she’s sour… then she’s sweet!”

I used a playful script font paired with a few decorative accents. For this shirt, I chose white HTV on a light-colored tee to create a sweet, understated look that’s cute without being too loud.

Follow Your Rainbow

This simple rainbow design was inspired by one of my favorite video game songs from Sonic Adventure 2. Since this was a plain white blank, I chose a color rainbow vinyl to make the simple design pop!

Far Out

I had a few sheets of galaxy-pattern HTV in my craft stash and wanted to create something aptly space-themed. I loved the idea of this floating astronaut, and paired him with a retro-inspired font for “Far Out.” I love how the galaxy vinyl gives the shirt extra visual interest!

Super Mario Bros. Shirts

While flipping through my son’s coloring books, I noticed that the Super Mario Bros. artwork had nice thick outlines that would translate well to HTV. I scanned a few pages, adjusted the contrast, then vectorized the artwork in Adobe Illustrator before sending it to my Cricut. I love that these shirts are unique but feature some favorite kid-friendly characters. For my son’s shirts, I used these Garanimals shirts which are a comfortable cotton / poly blend.

These designs were created strictly for personal use.

My Most Used HTV Supplies

I’ve tried lots of different brands of HTV over the years, and here are my thoughts on what I’ve discovered. While certainly not the cheapest, my favorite product in terms of weeding and transfer success is the Sister EasyWeed HTV. It’s a dream to work with and seems to have enough give even for a cotton/poly blend t-shirt.

For the gradient patterns, I used HTVRONT. This product does not weed as easy—I find the vinyl clings to the sticky part and doesn’t pull away super easily, and also likes to tear when you’re pulling at it. But, the vinyl transfers fine and holds up well in the wash. One thing I noticed is the gradients do show some banding, which is common when digitally printing gradients of colors. Something to be mindful of.

I got the galaxy prints from Vinyl Supply Unlimited. I have absolutely no issues with this product, but looking at their website now I don’t think they carry the space designs anymore.

A few years ago I splurged on a HTVRONT Auto Heat Press. This has made transferring HTV and DTF so much faster and consistent. No issues at all with this product for t-shirts. I saw some reviews of people struggling to press onto thicker material like sweatshirts, but I can’t speak to that personally.

I’m using an older Cricut Explore Air 2 and it’s just fine for my needs! As of this blog post, I am seeing some used ones on eBay that you can get a deal on if you want to get into HTV without paying full price. Otherwise, if you want a new machine it looks like the most recent Cricut model as of this blog post is the Explore 5.

Share your feedback!

I loved how all of these shirts came out! The kids now have a few unique designs that nobody else will be wearing, and I had a great excuse to spend a couple hours designing and creating.

So, what do you think, particularly about the custom designs I created? Would you be interested in making these at home? If so, let me know in the comments below!

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission from products purchased via links in this blog post.

In this post, I have another lovely piece to share from a recent craft night with my neighbors — pressed flowers in a hanging metal and glass frame!

This craft is similar to the Decoupage Dried Flowers on Mason Jars craft I posted previously. But for this one, you don’t need any Mod Podge because the dried flowers will be glued to one glass pane.

You can hang these flower frames like you would a sun catcher, on a window or sliding glass door:

Materials for making pressed flower hanging frames

Pressed Flowers

There are so many pressed flower options to choose from, with various colors and packages that include little ferns, stems, and decorative leaves. I went with a collection of pink flowers, and many of my neighbors chose an orange theme. You can pick whatever colors match your personal style, the room you plan to hang it in, or the season. Have fun with it!

Sometimes these packs of pressed flowers come with fruits, like strawberries and lemons, which are so cute for crafting! However, one of my neighbors said her decoupage lemons molded on the glass jars we previously made. Maybe that’s something to be wary of if you plan to use dried, pressed fruits in your crafts.

Hanging Glass Frames with Metal Chains

Something like these metal and glass hanging frames will work for inserting your pressed flowers. Again, there are lots of available options to choose from online. I recommend double-checking the dimensions before make your purchase. Sometimes sellers use dubious product photos that misrepresent the size of the frame you’re purchasing!

Optional items for your pressed flower glass frames

A strong, high-viscosity craft glue will help keep your flowers in place. But the pressure of the glass panes in your frame should keep your flowers and stems from sliding around too much. If you are worried about permanently messing up your layout, or don’t really mind minor shifting of elements, you can skip gluing down the flowers. I wanted a permanent design, so I used small dots of glue to hold down every flower and stem in my frame.

Command Hooks are my preferred method of hanging sun catchers as well as these decorative glass frames. I’ve tried all sorts of suction cups in the past, but they always give out after some time. Command strips come off cleanly and easily, but it is possible to damage your drywall when removing. You have to very carefully and slowly pull the tabs down as you remove them.

Tips for laying out your flowers

To make your layout of pressed flowers stand out and look really great, try playing with contrast, layers, and textures. Mixing different textures, like smooth petals with rough leaves or delicate stems, adds depth and makes your flower craft even more visually interesting. Try combining flowers of different sizes, from tiny blossoms to bigger petals, to create a nice balance.

Adding a pop of bright color can help create a focal point and give your design extra flair! Also, layering your flowers at different angles and heights can help create a sense of dimension, liveliness and movement. A word of advice — if you’re like me and have a tendency to overwork your art, keep in mind sometimes less is more. Then again… sometimes MORE is more. So just have fun with it! There’s really no wrong way to do it!

That’s all for now! Have you ever done any kind of craft with glass frames similar to what was shown above? Let me know in the comments! Stay creative and happy crafting.

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Can you believe Valentine’s Day is right around the corner? We’ve only just said goodbye to 2025, and I’m ready to create some beautiful things in 2026! One of my “resolutions” (if you can call it that) for 2026 is to create more physical art. With that in mind, today I’m sharing with you some Valentine’s Day craft inspiration. I gathered a few heart-warming ideas for adults, little kids, and big kids!

Valentine’s Day Foam Hedgehog Ornaments

My toddlers love foam sticker crafts like these adorable hedgehogs adorned with hearts. Foam sticker crafts are an easy, mess-free way to let your little ones be creative! I always have to get out of my control-freak, designer mind to let the little ones just go with it. Sure, the feet are not where googly eyes should go… just let the little ones explore with their creation and share a little giggle with them!

You can make a ton of hedgehogs with just one package, and it comes with plenty of gems and hearts and decorative elements. My son wanted to just keep making more and more!

See also: Valentine’s Day Foam Monster crafts

Lovebirds Paint By Numbers Kit

Just stop! My heart cannot take how stinking cute this paint by numbers lovebird craft is. I love acrylic paint by numbers kits—they make painting accessible for everyone, regardless of skill level. Again, just make sure you have your readers handy if you use them. This painting would make a great gift for a special friend, partner, or child in your life.

I bought this paint by numbers kit for myself but am a little disappointed it doesn’t come with enough slack to wrap around stretcher bars. It also came with some deep wrinkles in the canvas, which I tried to smooth out with an iron per the instructions. That was a mistake! The fabric warped a bit from the heat of the iron. Since I can’t wrap the canvas around stretcher bars, I’m going to glue it to plywood instead. Wish me luck.

See also: Paint by Numbers Heart Wildflowers Painting

Candy Heart Diamond Art Coasters

How adorable are these candy heart diamond art coasters? I’m a big fan of diamond art—it’s a relaxing craft, and quite satisfying when the final piece comes together. Anyone can do diamond art, but have your readers handy if you need them. To be fair, the designs shown above are a little monotonous… but the resulting sparkly candy heart shaped coasters are just too sweet to pass by!

See also: Diamond Art Flower Coasters

LEGO Heart Ornament

This LEGO heart ornament is a cute project for older kids that have a passion for building! …Okay fine, to be honest this is also an adult craft for me. I love LEGOs! And this set is customizable, if you want to switch up the placement of the flowers and hearts.

See also: LEGO Roses

Melissa & Doug Wooden Valentine’s Day Magnets

If you have toddlers like I do, you’re probably familiar with the Melissa & Doug brand. Their hallmark is creating wooden toys, educational products and crafts for kids. I think these Melissa & Doug painted magnets are so cute!

Stained-Glass Heart Sun Catchers

I’m a big fan of sun catchers! These stained-glass heart sun catchers are a great craft for older kids who have the required fine motor skills for painting in the little shapes. And they can still be creative with their color palette for each little sun catcher.

See also: Tissue Paper Suncatchers

Alright, that’s it for this post! If you ended up creating hand-made Valentine’s Day cards or any kind of love-inspired crafts this season, please share in the comments below. Stay creative and happy crafting!

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Picture the scene: It’s 10:45 in the morning. You’ve just spent the last 30 minutes pacing around with your 18-pound baby in your arms, praying they’ll take a nap, while they grunt, squirm, and slap you in the face. The sweat beads on your forehead as you attempt the dreaded arms-to-crib transfer… Will it fail this time…? No?! Success! The baby is soundly asleep in their crib. You tiptoe out of the room with the stealthiness of Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, not even daring to breathe too loudly, when…

DING DONG!

The doorbell rings. The dog goes crazy. The baby wakes up. Now you don’t know who’s melting down worse… you, or the precious fruit of your loins!

What could possibly be so important that it warrants a doorbell ring in the late morning, setting the whole house a-thunder? Ah, yes… A door-to-door window salesman. If only you could spare him a minute of your time, he’ll take your contact info down and pencil you in for a quick (four-hour) consult next week to discuss $20,000 worth of new windows for your entire home!

Did that story strike a chord with you? This situation really grinds my gears. So, I decided to combat this specific crime against peaceful baby-rearing the best way I know how… with passive-aggressive, vigilante crafting!

So, here’s a No Soliciting Sign I threw together in Illustrator, free for you to download and print yourself if you don’t have the means to create your own.

Really, all you need to make it is a printer and some scissors… But since I’m a crafting try-hard, I also laminated my sign and used my super fancy corner punch so the corners aren’t so pokey. I have the sign attached to the inside of my storm door with Glue Dots, hoping it would be easier to remove than clear tape in the future… But I may tape it to the outside eventually anyway because the glare makes the sign harder to read.

A couple of other items I personally find essential for paper crafts include:

• An X-Acto knife with a sharp blade
• An 18″ non-skid metal ruler for lining up precise cuts
• A self-healing cutting mat
• Inkjet friendly cardstock paper

Are you like me and also love passive-aggressive homemade signs? Let me know what you’ve been making lately in the comments below.

Happy crafting, y’all!

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Here’s a fun and creative DIY project to add a touch of charm to your home decor: decoupage dried flowers on mason jars to create stunning candle holders! Decoupage involves adhering paper or fabric to a surface and then covering it with a protective sealant. In this project, I used dried flowers to create beautiful floral designs on mason jars, then set electric tea lights inside. The process is so simple that any adult or older child can do it, and the results are gorgeous. Keep reading to see how I created these jars.

Materials

Dried Flowers

There are a ton of options on Amazon. In some of these packages of flowers you’ll also find pieces of dried fruit. Dried fruit is harder to decoupage on glass jars, but the results are so adorable.

Mason Jars

So that you’ll have a smooth surface to adhere your flowers, you’ll want jars with plain fronts, not the branded Ball or Kerr kind. I used 16 oz. jars.

Mod Podge

An essential all-in-one glue and sealant that every crafter should own. You can use this to both stick the flowers to the mason jars and paint on top of the flowers to seal and protect them.

Paint Brushes

I personally like soft, synthetic brushes meant for acrylic paints. I just find they are the easiest to use and most versatile brushes for multiple paint and craft projects. For this decoupage project, a flat or filbert brush works well.

Optional: Twine

This is optional, but you can use twine to tie around the lid of the jar to add a rustic touch. I used this twine braided with gold wire which comes in several pretty colors that you can match with your flowers if you so desire.

Optional: Craft Tweezers

This can help you pick up delicate flowers and place them on your jars.

The Process

Step 1: Prepare your crafting area. Have a container of water nearby for diluting the Mod Podge. Using a paper bowl to hold a small amount of Mod Podge makes clean up super easy. You won’t need a lot of Mod Podge. I think 2 tablespoons is plenty to decoupage three mason jars. Paper towels will be helpful if your jar drips during this project.

Step 2: First, dip you brush in some water, then Mod Podge. Paint a thin layer on your jar where you want to adhere your flower or stem. You can use the damp brush to lift up a flower and place it onto the Mod Podge, or you can use tweezers for delicate pieces.

Step 3: Grab a bit more water and Mod Podge on your brush and paint on top of the flower or stem to seal it in. And that’s it! Keep repeating this process around your jar as far as you want to go. I only did one side of the jar as I plan to place the jars on a mantle or shelf where the back side won’t be visible.

Tips

• If using dried fruit in your decoupage, try soaking the pieces in water for a bit until they’ve softened up. This will help them mold to the curve of your jar.
• After the Mod Podge has completely dried, you can go back and wipe off some of the excess around the edges of your flowers with a damp paper towel.
• Stems are difficult to decoupage. Many of the stiff pieces I simply snipped off with a pair of scissors, either before or shortly after decoupaging the leaf onto the jar.

Let me know what you think of this project!

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I decided that today would be a pajama pants day! Comfy-pants are perfect for doing chores, working around the house, and blogging. If you’re like me, you been gifted plenty of pairs of pajama pants over the years, but none of them have pockets. How annoying is it when you can’t easily carry your phone around, or quickly pocket a couple of screws while installing something? Inspired by my desire for both comfort and utility, I decided to add some pockets in my pajama pants. Here’s how I did it:

Since I didn’t already have a pocket template, I searched Google and found a free pajama pants pocket pattern from Sew Over It. I downloaded the pattern, printed it at 100%, and used it to cut out four pieces of fabric for the pockets. Ideally you would use fabric that’s similar in color to your pants so the pockets blend in well. I didn’t have any light blue fabric, so I used a neutral, unbleached muslin fabric.

I marked where I wanted the pocket to start on both the inside and the outside of the pants. After measuring the length of the pocket, I used a seam-ripper to open up the sides of the pants just slightly farther out than where I marked.

With the pants right-side out, and working on side at a time, I pinned a pocket piece in place and sewed it to the pants using an overcasting stitch. The overcasting stitch joins the seams and finishes the edges in one step. My sewing machine came with an overcasting presser foot, but if you don’t have one they are inexpensive online. I matched up the pocket on the other side of the pants leg, and sewed it in place.

Next, I turned the pants inside-out, matched up the pocket pieces and pinned them together. Then I stitched the pants seam and pocket all the way around with an overcasting stitch.

When I created the holes for my pockets in the pants, I made them a little wider for easier positioning of the pockets. So at this point in the process, I made sure the pants leg seam was completely closed with a straight stitch.

Finally I turned the pants right-side out again and pressed the pocket seams with my iron. There you have it! A simple sewing project that takes little time but adds utility to your comfy-pants. Would you, or have you ever sewn pockets into store-bought pajama pants? Maybe I have too much time on my hands… Then again, at least I didn’t spent any extra money on pajama pants with pockets today!

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Truth be told, I’ve always struggled with planning out my garden beds. Here’s how the story usually goes… I walk around a nursery, pick up some random plants that look cool, and stick them in the ground. Then half of what I planted inevitably dies, and the other half just looks out of place in the garden. So this year I decided to rip out some old plants and start fresh, with a really simple layout featuring hardy azaleas and hostas.

The azaleas

I chose the ENCORE Autumn Sunburst Azaleas as the feature plants in my new garden bed. Azaleas are known for being low-maintenance, hardy, flowering shrubs that thrive in part-sun to full-sun. The description of the Autumn Sunburst reads:

Autumn Sunburst is a bright highlight in the garden, growing compactly and blooming profusely in spring, summer and fall. Its unique blooms are coral pink with white ruffled edges and stand out against the compact dark green foliage.

I love the uniqueness of the blooms! The coral pink is gorgeous, and the contrast of the white edges is striking. ENCORE says their azaleas bloom three times a year: spring, summer, and fall. Here’s how the plants look now, with some blooms still in June.

The hostas

I chose the Patriot Hosta as the accent plants in my new garden bed. The Patriot Hosta is known for being more heat tolerant than other varieties. The leaves are glossy and dark green with light-yellow to white edges.

Hostas thrive in part-shade, part-sun conditions. At first I was concerned the front of my house gets too much sun for hostas. Then I noticed my next door neighbor has a gigantic hosta in front of their house, living his best life! I think mine will do just fine.

I picked up young hostas from Lowes for about $5 a plant, which is a bargain for such a hardy plant that will grow back year after year. Here’s how the little plants look now.

Soil preparation and garden borders

My soil does have some clay, so I used this amendment to help with irrigation and nutrients. I broke up the existing soil in a wide hole for each plant, then mixed a good bit of this product. It says you can use this product as mulch, which I might try next spring.

I planted some creeping ground cover plants a couple of years ago, which look really beautiful in the spring with colorful little blooms. One of the plants, a lithodora, produces deep blue blossoms over dark green leaves. There’s a noticeable gap in my ground cover right now where something might have died, so I think I should plant another lithodora! It’s so gorgeous.

Finally, my front garden beds are edged with river rock. I love the contrast when the ground cover flows over the hardscape of the stone.

Wish me luck that everything survives the winter! I’m going to nurture the heck out of these little guys, because I finally think I have a simple, low-maintenance garden that will look beautiful for years. Let me know in the comments below if you have experience planting ENCORE azaleas and patriot hostas!

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In my quest to remodel my kitchen on a budget, I wanted to reuse and DIY everything I could. I didn’t have tens of thousands of dollars sitting around to put into a kitchen remodel, I was happy with the layout of my kitchen, and my cabinets were still in good condition. But was it possible to replace my dingy double-bowl, stainless steel sink with a stylish farmhouse sink, without replacing the cabinets? A couple of contractors and salesmen told me it couldn’t be done, but this little handy-woman figured out how to do it.

Confession time… I have a dreadful habit of not taking any “before” pictures. I dug up an old picture of our kitchen before we bought the house so you can get an idea of our starting point before the new sink, countertops, and paint. I take no responsibility for the clutter in this photo! Although I admit my own clutter is probably no better…

Which sink did I buy?

The important key was to search for a sink specifically labeled as “retro-fit.” These sinks are designed to fit into standard sink base cabinets. You’ll want to read the description carefully, but most of these sinks are labeled at the exact width of your base cabinet.

I decided to go with a stainless steel farmhouse sink for a few reasons: it looks industrial and modern, and it’s cheaper and weighs a lot less than porcelain. After searching the internet and reading reviews, I decided on a 33″ Retro-fit Flat Apron Farmhouse Sink from Auric. Shipping from www.auricsinks.com was fast and the sink was well packaged and beautiful in person. I bought it on sale and the price couldn’t be beat. The sink also comes in 30-inch and 36-inch options.

Prepping the cabinet

I intended to replace my countertops, which made this process a lot easier. If you are removing countertops with the intent of reusing them, that’s a serious pain in the rear-end (been there, done that). The contractor would not measure for my new countertops until the new sink was installed, so I removed the old countertops myself. This ended up saving a few hundred dollars on the final bill. It was a bit of hard work, but after I removed the laminate countertops, prepping the sink base was relatively easy.

First I removed the doors from the cabinet, then the false drawer at the top. Next, with a hand saw I very carefully carved out the top slat. I used a hand saw for this process because I was nervous of getting carried away and cutting too far into the cabinet with an electric tool.

The next step was to install supports in the cabinet for the farmhouse sink. The sink will come with instructions for how to do this. I carefully measured the height of the sink from the top of the cabinet and, using 2 x 4s from Home Depot, I installed supports in the base cabinet for the sink to rest on. Despite my best efforts, I needed to add some shims to get the sink completely level and in line with the top of the cabinets.

I wanted the front of my new sink to be flush with the new countertops, so I used scraps from the 2 x 4s to install spacers at the back of the sink so the amount of space it protrudes from the front of the cabinet was exactly the distance of the countertop overhang. During his measure, the countertop contractor confirmed that the overhang would match up with the sink.

Next, the sink slid in from the top of the cabinet and rested on the supports I built and up against the spacers. After the countertops were installed, I caulked around the left and right edges of where the cabinet meets the new sink.

How do I feel about the final result?

Auric claims their stainless steel sinks are scratch resistant, but I think they are over-selling that aspect of their product. After several months of use, there were hairline scratches in the bowl of the sink. Nothing major, but I also was using the protective great and I’m always very gentle with my new, shiny things. Later when I had my cabinets painted, the contractor put a large scuff in the front. Luckily he was able to buff it out using a stainless steel repair kit. The sink took well to that product, but is the Auric sink really all that scratch resistant? I don’t think so.

It’s also difficult to keep the inside of the stainless steel sink looking clean and pristine as water spots tend to build up on the inside. I periodically use a stainless steel cleaner on the inside of the sink to improve its appearance. If anyone has tips for what they use to keep the inside of their sinks looking nice, I’d love to know!

Ultimately I enjoy the look of the stainless steel farmhouse sink paired with granite countertops and my wooden island top (which I’ll write about in another post). The sink has created a striking focal point in my kitchen and the depth is convenient for cleaning big pots and pans.

A note about drainage

Farmhouse sinks are often much deeper than a standard sink, so you’ll want to be mindful of the position of the sanitary tee that connects to the drain pipe in the wall. The center line of the sanitary tee needs to be below the sink drain, or your sink won’t drain properly, which could lead to back flow. This is especially important to keep in mind if you want to install a garbage disposal. A garbage disposal would lower the discharge location from your sink by at least ten inches. For some people, the position of your drainage pipe might not allow enough clearance for a deep farmhouse sink, not to mention a disposal. So evaluate your sanitary tee and drain pipe situation before you decide to install a farmhouse sink!

If you’ve installed a retro-fit farmhouse sink in your home, let me know what your experience was like in the comments!

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Chalk paint is still one of my favorite mediums for a few reasons: it usually doesn’t require any sanding or priming, it dries fast, is easy to distress for a desirable rustic look, and it’s quick to clean up. Recently I was testing paint swatches in my guest bedroom and ended up with a couple of extra sample jars. That led me to wonder… Can I use a flat latex paint as a base for chalk paint? Keep reading to see the results of my experiment!

The original piece

Well, looks like I forgot to take a before picture of the end-tables I was going to paint, but here’s the matching coffee table so you can get the idea. The piece has painted, dark green legs and a natural stained wood top, with some stenciled filigrees and flowers on the top. My goal was to put down a tan base, white chalk paint on top, then distress it so the tan peaks through.

The base paint

My left-over sample was Behr Premium Plus, Flat, in Mesa Taupe. I applied it to my end-tables using my favorite Wooster “Shortcut” Brush. Since my piece was already painted/stained, I did not start with any primer or sanding and went straight in with the Behr paint. It applied well and I achieved an even base in about 2 coats.

The chalk paint

For the top layer of paint, I used the Americana Chalky Finish Paint in Everlasting. This took 2 coats to get an even look. I used my New Renaissance Chalk Paint Brush, which applies the paint nicely but you will get brush strokes. I like seeing brush strokes in my pieces – I think they add character and are an expression of the artist!

My first jar of Americana Chalky Finish Paint was sitting in storage for a few months and the texture of the paint became thick and difficult to work with. I realized too late that I needed to thin out the paint with water. Unfortunately, the first end-table has unpleasant streaking and I might have to repaint it at some point. So, watch out for consistency changes in your chalk paint and thin the product with water if needed.

Distressing

After the chalk paint dried, I began distressing the piece with 220 grit sandpaper and ran into some trouble. In some areas the chalk paint and base sanded away too easily. In some instances, what I saw below was the natural wood color (no big deal), but I really didn’t like to see the green peaking through! Bummer. My assumption is the base did not adhere well enough to the surface. I think a light overall sanding before applying the first coat of paint would have helped. I applied clear wax to the table and decided to paint the second piece a little differently.

Second attempt!

For my second end-table, I decided to sand the edges so hopefully we see the natural wood color instead of the green if the base color sands away.

After wiping away the dust, I applied the flat base the same way as I did with the first table. I started with the thinned out older chalk paint for the first white coat, and the second coat was applied from a brand-new jar. The second end-table has a much smoother finish than the first.

When distressing, I used a lighter hand and went in one-way strokes along the edges. I sanded with more vigor on the flat areas, while still carefully watching that the base coat wasn’t sanding away. The results the second time around were much better! Only in a couple of areas did the base sand away, but the finished look doesn’t bother me at all. I covered the piece with clear wax and called it a success.

Conclusion

Can you use flat latex paint under chalk paint? Absolutely! But you may want to consider sanding your original piece before hand to help with adhesion of the latex paint. Be mindful of the texture of your chalk paint and thin with water if it has become too thick. When distressing the chalk layer, use a light hand and one-way standing strokes. I really like the look of the second end-table I painted! I may eventually redo the first one using the information I learned during this experiment.

If you have used chalk paint over latex paint, let me know how it went in the comments.

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When I bought my house a couple years ago I noticed the mirrors in the main bathrooms were damaged around the edges. My first thought was I needed to replace the mirrors. But recently I was browsing DIY bathroom renovations on Pinterest and came across blog posts about building frames for bathroom mirrors. I liked the rustic look of these DIY mirror frames so I decided to take a crack at it.

Here’s an example of the damage around the mirror edges. I’m not sure what causes this. Regardless, a frame seems like the perfect way to hide it while also updating the bathroom decor. The first step was to measure the two mirrors I wanted to frame. I decided to build my frames about half of an inch taller than what I measured so I could mount them on drywall anchors just above the mirrors. Some blog posts suggested gluing the frame directly to the mirror but I wanted frames that could easily be removed if I decided to repaint the bathrooms or upgrade the vanity tops. 

Materials I used to build the mirror frames:

1 in. x 3 in. x 8 ft. furring strip boards to build the frame
The posts I read used 1 in. by 4 in. boards to make their mirror frames. After reviewing options at the hardware store, I decided that 4″ was too wide, and 1″ x 3″ furring strips were better suited for frames. They are also cheaper and the quality is not as good, but they work well if you want your finished frame to have a rustic look. NOTE: Wood from the hardware store has an “actual size” that you’ll need to pay attention to when measuring. The furring strips were really only 2.5″ wide so I had to account for that in my measurements. 

E-Z Anchor Twist-N-Lock Drywall Anchors, to mount the frame
These are my favorite drywall anchors because they don’t require pre-drilling.

OOK Bronze-Finished Steel Nail-Less Saw Tooth Hangers, to mount the frame
These are the hangers I used to hang the frame on the drywall anchors. They nail directly into the wood.

Command Water Resistant Picture Hanging Strips, to make the frame sit flush against the mirror
Since my furring strips were slightly warped, I used these hook and loop Command Strips in the bottom corners to secure the frame to the mirror and keep it flat. After seeing the completed mirror frame only weighed 4 lbs., I realized I could have attached the frames to the mirrors using only Command Strips. 

1/4″ x 2 ft. x 2 ft. Medium Density Fiber Board, to secure the corners of the frame
The post I read on Cherished Bliss uses mitered corners for their mirror frame. I don’t have a means of making really nice miter cuts so I steered away from this design. Tag & Tibby’s version of the mirror frame does not have mitered cuts and uses blocks of wood to secure the corners. In this version I didn’t like how far this mirror sticks out from the wall. So my solution was to use a thinner, rigid material to secure the corners. I first tried tie plates but they weren’t sturdy enough. I also considered using decorative L straps on the outside of the mirror, but they were too expensive for my budget. The fiber board was cheap, sturdy, and relatively thin, so I cut it into small panels to attach to the furring strips.

Miniwax PolyShades Stain & Polyurethane in Antique Walnut
This stain was cheap at the hardware store and claimed to be both color and sealer in one. I’m a sucker for one-step painting products! The downside was there weren’t a lot of color options at the store. Amazon has more options to choose from in small cans.

If you also want to do this non-mitered style of frame, you’ll also need some wood screws that are long enough to penetrate the material you’re using to join corners and the boards beneath.

Progress photos:

I asked an employee at the hardware store to cut my furring strips to size but he messed up almost every cut. I didn’t want to waste material or money, so I used cuts of fiber board to join the furring strips, re-measured and re-cut them to size with a circular saw. At the top you’ll see I had the idea to use wood filler in the seams, but it was a useless step and the seams still show. The final frames have a rustic and reclaimed look so the visible seams on the front look fine, especially since I used a dark colored stain.

When joining the perpendicular boards I used my handy speed square to make sure the corners were good, and attached strips of fiber board with wood screws.

Here’s a picture before staining, with the foreman (a.k.a. my dog) supervising. You can see that I goofed and the front side of the mirror has one of the lumber stamps. Eek! Luckily it’s not visible after sanding that area down and staining. I used my orbit sander to sand down the frames before moving on staining. 

After staining you can hardly see where I seamed the boards together and the knots and grain of the wood look pretty nice! 

After mounting the mirror frame, I decided I should have stained the back side as you can see it through the reflection of the mirror. To get the project done faster I painted the back with brown paint and it looks fine in the reflection. In the bottom corners you can see where I am using the hook and loop Command Strips to help keep the frame flush to the mirror. 

Here’s a shot of the mounting hardware on the back of the frame. First I screwed on pieces of fiber board to match the depth of the corners on the frame. Then I nailed in the sawtooth hangers. I have three along the top edge of each mirror, but honestly since the frame is so light, two would have been sufficient.

The mirror frame makes a huge difference to the appearance of my master bathroom! I really love the way it turned out, and it was a relatively easy project to complete. If I could do it over, I would measure 5 times and make every cut myself. I would also skip the drywall anchors and mounting hardware and just use hook and loop Command Strips. 

In this picture you can see where the back of the mirror frame shows in the reflection. This is why I took the frame down and painted the back. This bathroom needs a lot more updating but the rustic DIY mirror frame is a great start!

Have you built your own mirror frames or thinking about taking on this project? Let me know what you think in the comments below!